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Chairman’s Message

Half full or half empty?

While it may be human nature to concentrate more on things negative than on things positive (that’s how newspapers sell their products after all) our recent public meeting in Oswestry was a happy reminder that not all change is for the worse. Whether it’s because it borders on Wales or is just that bit bigger as a market town I don’t know, but the Oswestry area has seen some welcome developments in recent months. These have included:

New evening services till 9pm on route 2 between Oswestry, Gobowen and Wrexham

New Sunday services on route 2 between Oswestry, Gobowen and Wrexham

Direct bus every 40 minutes between Oswestry, Gobowen, St Martins and Ellesmere

Daily return bus from Dudleston Heath to Ellesmere and Shrewsbury

Slightly faster service on route 70 (renamed X70) between Oswestry, Whittington, West Felton and Shrewsbury

Newer buses for Tanat Valley and Arriva.

Sometimes an improvement for one is a loss for another, and this is so for Nescliffe and Bicton which have lost half of their off-peak services.

There are still issues of course for the Oswestry area. Poor connectivity between trains and buses at Gobowen station was one raised at the meeting, Another is lack of a shelter at many bus stops, and lack of a seat to sit on or bench to lean against.

Our meeting was attended by one operator, Tanat Valley. Our vice-chair and I had recently met Arriva’s managers in Shropshire so between us we were able to give explanations about many of the items raised. All issues will be reported to the relevant bus operator and to Shropshire Council.

One unexpected but very welcome visitor to the meeting was Shropshire Council’s Deputy Portfolio Holder for Transport. Councillor Adams is, in effect, deputy minister of transport so far as Shropshire is concerned. We are hoping his attendance, and that of the Portfolio Holder herself at a recent meeting in Shrewsbury, may signal a new interest in buses on the part of Shropshire Council. Bus Users Shropshire is eager to engage with them to make sure we keep the services we have, and to make low cost improvements where we can. Half full I’d say!

Peter Gilbert, Chair of Bus Users Shropshire

Edition 10

Winter 2014/15

Public Meeting

We would like to hear your views on bus services in the

Whitchurch and Wem areas

Come and talk to us

Saturday 7th March 10.30am

Civic Centre, High Street, Whitchurch, SY13 1AX

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There is a Members’ meeting twice a year, one of which is followed by the AGM where Members are elected to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee meets every two months to deal with the main business of BUS. All Members are welcome to attend meetings of the Executive Committee as observers. About half of the meetings of the Executive Committee take place at The Alb bar lounge close to Shrewsbury’s bus and

train stations, with the remainder at other towns within Shropshire. We also aim to organise some Public meetings to give Shropshire people the chance to make their views known and to receive immediate responses from bus operators and/or Shropshire Council. In 2014 Public meetings have been organised in Bridgnorth, Bishops Castle and in Oswestry. This is a summary of the Executive Committee and Members’ meetings held since the last newsletter.

Members’ Meeting 29 November 2014 10 members attended. Matters Arising The briefing paper about the economics of bus services has still to be done. Peter had passed our analysis of the Shrewsbury ‘Your Bus Matters’ event in Shrewsbury to Bus Users UK

for them to take up issues with the relevant bus operator We have not received any feedback concerning the review of Shrewsbury Park and Ride After several failed attempts to contact the Shrewsbury Arriva depot manager we eventually managed to

meet with him in November We have distributed our new posters and leaflets but each member can help do that too

Peter will ask vicars and parish council clerks to display public meeting posters on their notice boards.

Membership report

We currently have a total of 80 members: 11 full, 19 concession, 8 joint/family and 42 supporters. This is about double our membership at the time of the previous Members’ meeting in April. Treasurer’s report We currently have funds of £193 (cash and bank) with a bill outstanding for room hire at Oswestry.

Meeting Notes

Forthcoming Meetings

Executive Committee Meetings open to all Members as observers

Premier Inn, Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury on Saturday 24 January at 10am.

Civic Centre, High Street, Whitchurch on Saturday 7 March at 11.30am.

Members’ Meeting and AGM Hobbs Room, Shrewsbury Library, Castle Street, Shrewsbury on Saturday 4 April at 10.30am (Members) and 11.30am (AGM).

Activities report Key events since the previous Member’ meeting had included: At our AGM last April we had a talk and discussion about

Shropshire Hills Shuttles, and Castle Connect, and had made suggestions about improved ticketing.

We’ve held three successful public meetings in Bridgnorth in May, in Bishops Castle in August, and in Oswestry in November, and we supported the Bus Users UK ‘Your Bus Matters’ event in Oswestry in August.

We have seen a steady increase in our membership to 80, but we do need more members who want to contribute in a positively pro active way – publicity, media work, organising locally or county wide.

The chair and vice chair have met with Arriva depot

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managers for Telford/Bridgnorth twice, and for Shrewsbury/Oswestry once. We have prepared a suggested timetable to augment the much reduced 490 service between Ludlow and

Leominster since Shropshire Council has expressed no interest in doing so. We have agitated for a new 141 service between Bridgnorth and Ludlow of two return trips a day. The chair and vice chair have contributed to a joint proposal to make Shrewsbury’s High Street a

pleasanter pedestrian experience with peak time use limited to pedestrians, cycles, buses and disability scooters.

Oswestry public meeting It was positive to have the Deputy Portfolio Holder for Transport (Councillor Adams) attend the public meeting, and two representatives from Tanat Valley. As Shropshire Council appears increasingly ill equipped to intervene to assist public transport, future improvements will need to come from BUS working directly with bus operators. It was noted that Oswestry had seen some improvements in bus services in the past year on account of commercially run services. All of the subsidised cross frontier services are contracted by Welsh county councils. Powys County Council is holding a consultation on bus services, which BUS will respond to. Cllr Adams had mentioned a review of the Shropshire Rural Bus Strategy during 2015 to come into effect in 2016, and it will be important for BUS to make our views known. Any Other Business David Roll queried the £1.37m paid to Shropshire Council by a developer for bus services to the

development, and it was agreed that BUS ought to be involved in representing the bus passenger’s viewpoint in how that money is spent. He also mentioned the poor train connections at Gobowen from route 2/2A, which will be included in feedback from the earlier Public Meeting. He kindly offered the Cambrian Railways’ centre for any future BUS meeting held during the closed season.

Keith said that Shropshire Council had recently issued a new edition of Shropshire Transport News online, but most of the bus changes had already happened. It was agreed to write to Matt Johnson to request regular, timely editions that give notice of forthcoming changes to bus timetables.

Executive Committee 29 November 2014 5 members attended plus one as observer. Committee Membership Llew will be moving away for a few months and will not be able to attend meetings during that time, and it is hoped he will come back invigorated on his return next year. It was agreed that Joan Collins be co-opted onto the committee. Public Meeting Although few members of the public attended the meeting (perhaps because most people are content with the services being provided, and we held a Your Bus Matters event during the summer) the November public meeting was judged a success. We had attendance from one operator and by the Deputy Portfolio Holder for Transport, we had two new members join, we gained a new committee member to represent issues from the Oswestry area, and we had publicity in the press. We agreed to write to Cllr Adams to thank him for attending, and commenting on issues he raised: the 2015 review of the Shropshire Rural Bus Strategy, the £1.37m Oswestry development bus fund, retention of Shrewsbury Sunday services, Sunday service on route 70, and Sunday service for route 2A. It was also agreed to write to Arriva with issues from public meeting: trial of route 2/2A too short and needs to include Weston Rhyn, route changes on service 70, and bus/train connections at Gobowen.

Meeting Notes (continued)

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Powys Council transport consultation The three mid Wales local authorities, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Powys, have published the draft Mid Wales Local Transport Plan which is currently out for consultation. It was agreed that BUS should respond, focussing on the importance of cross boundary bus services. Shrewsbury Sunday services In view of the funding for these services coming to an end in June next year, we need to see the figures for passenger numbers/revenue to argue the case for their continuation.

Executive Committee, 13 December 2014 6 members attended. Reduction of traffic in Shrewsbury town centre We discussed our relations with Friends of the Earth (FoE) and the joint proposal to make Shrewsbury’s High Street, Mardol Head and Shoplatch a pleasanter pedestrian experience with the main shopping time use limited to pedestrians, cycles, buses and disability scooters. The proposal had now been finalized in a paper and it is recommended that BUS/FoE should seek to brief the following key decision makers and influencers face to face:

Shrewsbury Town Councillors (not limited to Cllr Moseley and Cllr Nutting)

Cllr Peter Adams, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Shropshire Council

Cllr Claire Wild, Portfolio Holder for Shropshire Council

Shropshire Council members especially from Shrewsbury

Business interests such as Shrewsbury Chamber of Trade, Shrewsbury BID, Shop in the Loop, Destination Shrewsbury

Other groups with an interest in the environment eg Green Exchange, Prof John Whitelegg. It was agreed that when the proposal is published we need to have friends (from outside Shrewsbury area) ready to write to newspapers to argue the case in favour, to offset any editorial bias against it. BUS should also speak to bus operators to get them on board and to ensure bus drivers will drive slowly and considerately through the controlled zone. Taxi drivers and mini cab drivers will argue for access through the controlled zone, so it was suggested that a taxi rank be created just outside the zone such as at top of Mardol/Claremont Street. It was agreed to write to FoE to suggest this carefully planned approach. General Election 2015 Parliament is the ultimate funding body for subsidised services, and also helps to create the framework in which commercial and subsidised buses operate. It was agreed that BUS will prepare a manifesto for candidates across the four Shropshire parliamentary constituencies, which will be considered at the next meeting. Sunday services in Shrewsbury These will finish on Sunday 31 May 2015 as the Sustainable Travel Funding comes to an end. It was agreed we need to campaign starting in January to motivate current users to argue for their continuation. The target of our campaign will be current passengers so we will produce A5 leaflets that can be distributed on board Sunday buses, and posters for display on all Shrewsbury town buses. 490 Orleton to Ludlow It is probably now too late to take any action for 490 Orleton to Ludlow as passengers will have shifted their personal business to Leominster. As Arriva did not respond to our request to look at running a single return

Meeting Notes (continued)

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trip using their Knighton-Ludlow bus we spoke to Cllr Vivienne Parry who asked Shropshire Council to ask Arriva. Unfortunately their driver’s hours are already tight up against the statutory daily maximum so no increase is possible. The experience of service changes shows we need much more notice of a change if we are to make any alternative arrangements. Public Transport News Shropshire Council have published a new edition of Public Transport News, the first for 9 months, but most of the bus service changes have already happened. BUS could compile and email a summary of forthcoming timetable changes to anyone interested if Shropshire Council, who have to be given 8 weeks notice by operators of forthcoming changes, sent us copies of what they receive. 141 Ludlow to Bridgnorth route

It was agreed to defer consideration of this item until our January meeting. The point was made that it is more important (and effective) to campaign to keep current services under threat than to spend scarce time on campaigning to start new services. Other matters

BUS had received several lengthy letters suggesting improvements to existing or new services in the county, and a telephone complaint about route 70 at Nesscliffe and one letter concerning a new service linking Clun to Newtown and to Bridgnorth will be included in the newsletter.

A response to the mid Wales (TRACC) bus consultation was agreed.

A new consultation by the Welsh Government on its National Transport Plan has started, to which BUS will respond if appropriate.

Owing to The Alb now not opening until midday it was agreed to transfer this and future executive committee meetings to the nearby Premier Inn.

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Meeting Notes (continued)

Please let us have your views on this newsletter, anything you have read in it, or on any bus subject. Letters should be sent to the address at the bottom of this page.

Bridgnorth to Kidderminster bus service I was travelling on the 297 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster (via Alveley, Arley and Trimpley) 9.45am bus yesterday, which broke down near Shatterford and my fellow passengers and I sat waiting for a replacement bus for a considerable amount of time, whilst a mechanic and bus were brought from Telford (this is where we miss Bridgnorth's depot!). We eventually arrived in Kidderminster just after midday. The journey normally takes around 50 minutes. I believe these breakdowns are not a rarity and, whilst fully appreciating that these things happen, I cannot understand why such 'elderly' buses are put on this challenging, very rural route. The winding, narrow lanes and uneven surfaces are difficult enough for any vehicle to deal with let alone the age and nature of some of the buses that are put on this route. It is especially galling when one sees very much more modern buses sailing around both Telford and Shrewsbury both at very frequent intervals and often extremely under populated. As I've said already, this is an extremely difficult route and the drivers cope magnificently in the timescale they are given. Both they and us, the passengers, deserve more reliable transport to complete this journey. Anne Wariner _________________________________________________________________________________________

MEMBERS VIEWS

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Lack of buses in Clun Being a new BUS member edition 9 of the newsletter was the first I have received, and it struck a powerful chord with me in one particular way - the lack of buses in Clun. In 2003 there was a bus service northwards from Ludlow every hour. The destination alternated Shrewsbury/Clun. One day I used the Clun bus from Craven Arms to Clun. There were no other passengers. With that level of usage it is not surprising that withdrawal occurred soon after. But is Clun a dead end in the road from Craven Arms? No, the road continues westward to …. Newtown. Last time I was there Newtown had a good shopping centre. The town is served by trains on the Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth line on which the service shortly becomes hourly instead of two-hourly. Clun to Borth for sandcastle building! How about eastward? A town with significant population and plenty to interest visitors - Bridgnorth. So Newtown - Bridgnorth, would it work? I am optimistic that it would work with promotion in the right areas:- County Council public transport information sites

Tourist leaflets for each of the towns along the route

Youth Hostels Association Additionally, being part of Round Robin tickets and taken into the Freedom of Wales Travel Pass would promote the service. How do other BUS members feel about my suggestion? Martin Loake _________________________________________________________________________________________

Bus stop information in Shrewsbury I am writing about time tables on the 27 bus route from Shrewsbury to Bayston Hill. First I would like to say how very much I appreciate the improvement in the reliability of the service. It used to be well-known for its delays, which could be up to half an hour or even an hour, but since the timetable was changed last year reliability has enormously improved. This could not have happened if Arriva had not listened to bus-users’ concerns. When route and timing were changing from year to year, it was understandable that time tables could not be kept up-to-date, but now that the service has stabilised, I hope they will be improved. I would particularly like to draw your attention to these three bus stops. At each one, there is a time table holder without a time table.

Belle Vue, outside Belle Vue Methodist Church. Moneybrook Way, outside Money Brook Way flats 28-34.

Moneybrook Way, Mary Webb Road. Also at Chatford Drive, Moneybrook Way, the time table, although up-to-date, has been so defaced much of it is illegible. I use the service frequently, so I know the situation at these four bus stops has been the same for some time. I hope it can soon be put right, as up to date time tables will help bus users, and encourage more people to travel by bus. John Hassall

MEMBERS VIEWS (continued)

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Bus stop information in Ludlow area I have noticed that the R&B Travel 723 bus timetable is wrong at all the stops that it serves and is also wrong on Traveline. It is a Friday only service that operates between Coreley and Ludlow, however the bus stops say it operates between Cleobury Mortimer and Ludlow. I first found out about this from the bus company, who told me that it used to go to Cleobury Mortimer a couple of years ago. Adam Angell Editor’s note: Your email will be forwarded to Shropshire Council who are responsible for bus stops across the county (except Shrewsbury itself). _________________________________________________________________________________________

Arriva’s 114 route from Bridgnorth to Telford This is an account of a journey my husband and I undertook yesterday on the 114 Arriva route from Bridgnorth to Telford Town Centre. It is not a journey we undertake very often and usually it is for a medical appointment at the hospital or the hearing centre, which was the case yesterday. We caught the 11.50 bus from Bridgnorth, which took us down to Low Town, where the driver got out and we awaited his relief to arrive. The wait lasted 20 minutes, although we were updated now and again, and when the replacement driver arrived he informed us that he had been driving the 99 bus into Bridgnorth earlier that morning, which had broken down in Broseley and that he had waited 2 hours for a replacement bus to be brought out to him. On arriving in Bridgnorth, he then had to take his statutory rest period, hence the delay in taking over our 114 bus to take us to Telford. This again highlights the difficulties brought about by the closure of the Arriva Bridgnorth Depot. The 114 route, which we then began, takes in several outlying villages - Worfield, Badger, Beckbury among them and they are reached by difficult, single track lanes. On three or more occasions during this journey we met oncoming traffic, which was forced to reverse to let the bus through, causing considerable delays on an already delayed journey. There were four passengers in total requiring to alight at three villages and one passenger boarded, the other passengers, including us, were travelling to Telford Town Centre. Obviously, this bus route is an essential means of communication to the villagers but I am wondering whether, as the tortuous journey between villages and back on to the main road took three quarters of an hour in total, if instead of the large bus, a smaller vehicle could be used to link with the main route? It is a difficult and time consuming journey for all concerned and particularly so yesterday, when the departure time was already delayed. The timescale and numbers involved are not unusual; it has been the same each time I have used this service. I am sure this and other options have probably been looked at in the past but as an observation, I wonder if a link bus might be an idea worth considering on this difficult route? I seem to remember a similar suggestion being made at the meeting held here in Bridgnorth, when discussing another route in the area, and the representative from Arriva said he would look into the matter. Anne Wariner _________________________________________________________________________________________

MEMBERS VIEWS (continued)

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This is the section where we feature articles or letters from local newspapers or other media about bus services in Shropshire. If you see anything about buses in your local paper, cut it out and send it in to the address at the bottom of the back page.

Bus improvements a better deal for Oswestry than park and ride, says councillor A town is getting a better deal after developers agreed to pay £1.3 million to improve local bus services rather than manage a Park & Ride scheme, it has been claimed. Councillor John Cadwallader said spending the money on buses in Oswestry would benefit the whole town. He made the claim at a meeting of Shropshire Council's north planning committee as members agreed to accept a payment from developers who wished to avoid having to run a Park & Ride service from a new shopping and cinema complex on Shrewsbury Road. Planning permission was granted for the development four years ago on the condition that a Park & Ride service linked to the town centre was provided, but councillors accepted a variation of

terms at Tuesday's meeting). Councillor Cadwallader, Shropshire councillor for Market Drayton East, said: “Improving and extending the existing bus service has to be far better than simply having shuttle buses going back and too from the town centre to the development. This will benefit the whole of the town.” Councillor Arthur Walpole, committee chairman, said: “We will lose 40 car parking spaces. However the funding will come back to use to use for the bus services for the area.” Shropshire Star, November 2014

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Costly bus service route will be axed A bus service that serves people who work in the Shrewsbury Business Park is due to be axed because of low passenger numbers. Two years ago an extension was created to the route 8 service in Shrewsbury after Shropshire Council was awarded £84,000 from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) to run an extension to the service to the business park on a trial basis. The service, which was an extension to the Sutton Farm route, is run by Arriva and it was today confirmed the extended route will be cancelled at the end of the year because it is too costly. Claire Wild, Shropshire Council cabinet member for transport, said: “The £84,000 from the Local sustainable Transport Fund allowed us to put on this trial service for the last 18 months. However, the service is simply too costly for us to continue to run. It costs approximately £20 per person per trip to run the service and this is regrettably not something we can continue to do, given the funding from the LSTF will end shortly, coupled with the low usage figures. The costs of running this service was £50,000 per year, which as you can see, accounts for the vast

Media Monitor

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majority of the funding received. We would like to provide as many services as we can, but continuing the extension of the existing number 8 service is just not something that is feasible. There are still four other bus routes which connect the business park to the town centre and we hope users can see why we are unable to continue the extended number 8 service.” Alternative bus services X5 and 81, which are operated by Arriva Midlands, will continue to run along London Road. Keith Myatt, regional marketing and communications manager at Arriva, said: “The current Shrewsbury Business Park extension to the pre-existing commercial service 8 is funded through external grant funding made available to the council through the current LSTF. This extension beyond the Sutton Farm area was contracted for a two-year pilot period only, in line with the funding available through the LSTF. As this period comes to an end, the service has been evaluated on grounds of cost and passenger numbers. It was not the intention with such pilot work under the LSTF to create an ongoing legacy of increased bus subsidy levels. The service has not reached a level of patronage on this element whereby the cost of continuing the service is within available Shropshire Council budgets. The service will therefore no longer serve the Shrewsbury Business Park as passenger numbers cannot sustain a commercial operation.” Shropshire Star, December 2014 _________________________________________________________________________________________

Details of recent and forthcoming changes to bus services in Shropshire

31 August 2014

25 Shrewsbury: Hartlescott to Bus Station. The frequency on Mondays to Saturdays was reduced from 15 to 20 minutes to improve reliability.

29 October 2014

75 Wrenbury to Market Drayton. This Wednesday shopping service via Adderley, previously operated by GHA Coaches, was taken over by Routemaster Buses.

79 Audlem to Hanley. New Friday shopping service via Woore, operated by Routemaster Buses.

3 November 2014

96 Shrewsbury to Ironbridge to Telford Centre. There are three additional journeys, the times of some others have changed, and all journeys on this route now serve Stirchley in Telford.

X96 Shrewsbury to Telford Centre. Reduced from four journeys to just one early journey from Shrewsbury.

17 November 2014

101 Bridgnorth: Sydney Cottage Drive to Grove Estate. This Monday to Saturday service every 35 minutes, previously operated by Whittles, was taken over by Arriva.

30 November 2014

53/X53 Oswestry to Ellesmere. Frequency changed from 30 mins to Ifton Heath and hourly to Ellesmere to 40 mins throughout. The gaps previously created by operating 2 journeys each way as X53 via Whittington

Media Monitor

Service Changes

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and Welsh Frankton have been plugged with the withdrawal of X53, but there are no departures from Oswestry or Ellesmere at 1440.

70 Oswestry to West Felton to Shrewsbury. Alternate journeys numbered X70 omit Nesscliffe, Montford Bridge and Bicton, and are diverted via A5 and Welshpool Road instead, reducing journey time by 5-7 minutes. The last journey from Shrewsbury is withdrawn and last journey from Oswestry terminates at West Felton. On Saturdays the service reduced to hourly early morning.

14 December 2014

2L Ludlow to Cleobury Mortimer to Kidderminster. Service increased to 7 journeys from Ludlow plus 1 from Cleobury Mortimer and 10 journeys from Kidderminster (2 of which terminate at Cleobury Mortimer), giving a 90 minute frequency. Ludlow Leisure Centre is no longer served and most journeys omit Hales Park and Bark Hill.

64/164 Shrewsbury to Market Drayton to Hanley. The Friday and Saturday evening service between Market Drayton and Hanley, operated by Bennetts Travel, is withdrawn.

20 December 2014

63 St Martins to Oswestry to Ellesmere. This schooldays service operated by Bryn Melyn is withdrawn.

5 January 2015

8A/8B Shrewsbury: Sutton Farm to Bus Station. The diversion on Mondays to Fridays via Shrewsbury Business Park is withdrawn and the frequency is reduced from 15 to 20 minutes, the same as Saturdays, with all journeys numbered 8. There is no change to the Sunday service.

53 Oswestry to Ellesmere. An afternoon journey is added on schooldays from St Martins to Oswestry via Gobowen, Orthopaedic Hospital, then direct to Bus Station (not via Post Office), following the withdrawal of service 63 by Bryn Melyn. There are also some minor changes to times. 125 Bridgnorth to Kidderminster to Stourbridge. This service, previously operated by Whittles, is taken over by Central Buses. The hourly frequency through to Stourbridge is restored, but the last two journeys from Bridgnorth are combined into one. _________________________________________________________________________________________

DID YOU KNOW If you have a concessionary bus pass you can get on a bus in Shropshire before 0930 if it reaches your destination after 0930, as long as you pay for the part of the journey up until 0930.. When you get on the bus buy a ticket to the first bus stop where the bus is due at or after 0930, and then use your pass for the rest of the journey.

Service Changes (continued)

NEXT EDITION (Published beginning of April 2015)

Please submit your contributions no later than 8th March 2015

It would be really helpful to receive information electronically in Word or plain text format, and digital photos, which should be sent to: keith.gallop@vodafoneemail.co.uk Alternatively, you can send written information, or photo prints which will be returned, to: Bus Users Shropshire, c/o Shrewsbury Coffeehouse, 5 Castle Gates, Shrewsbury SY1 2AE

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NEWS & PHOTOS

Gobowen are not good Trefonen: more afternoon journeys are needed

Route 79/79A: more journeys needed Whittington: long gap between bus stops and new

one needed at Rosehill Avenue, and service needed to Oswestry hospital and Gobowen

Route 2: divert Sunday buses via Weston Rhyn, and websites don't show full Sunday service

Town services: concern about use of double deck buses, extend 403 & 404 until 1700, and 400 does not serve College Road bus stop and no buses go past College in afternoon

Response from Arriva Route 70: No plans to introduce a Sunday service as there is not enough interest to make it commercial; decision made to remove service from Unicorn Road in Oswestry as it was not being used (Shropshire Council informed about lack of bus stops along Cabin Lane in Oswestry); express service is being introduced from 30 November. Route 53: Timetable is being revised from 30 November, which includes continuing to the Post Office in Oswestry. Train connections: there is a bus stop 200 yards from Gobowen railway station where services 2 and 53 stop and pick up. Route 2: If decision is made to keep Sunday service a diversion via Weston Rhyn will be looked at along with other requests and changes made to benefit the service. Timetables: Some show no return times and this will be addressed. Service 400: Have already identified changes to this route and are speaking with the council to

Oswestry Public Meeting Introduction The meeting, which was held on 29 November, had been called by Bus Users Shropshire to collect the views of users and residents on the state of bus services in the Oswestry area and to provide feedback on the Your Bus Matters event held by Bus Users UK in Oswestry in July. As well as five members of the BUS committee, the meeting was attended by 11 people. Background A short account of bus services in the area, the influence of the Welsh government and the relative lack of reliance on subsidy from Shropshire Council was provided. An analysis of the main points raised at the Your Bus Matters event, together with responses from the operators, was presented. A full analysis is included in the report of the event available shortly from BUS. The meeting was then open to comments and questions from anybody present. Feedback from Your Bus Matters The following were the main points raised and are shown in order of popularity. Route 70: Sunday service needed, route should

revert back to Unicorn Road in Oswestry .(no-one is getting on in Cabin Lane), and express service requested

Route 53: reduced service on Ifton Heath to Ellesmere section makes journeys difficult, and half the buses no longer serve the post office in Oswestry

Connection times between bus and rail at

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NEWS & PHOTOS (continued)

On route 2/2A the current timetables alternate for parts of the day but then only run with one of the services, which means that Gobowen station doesn’t get a service for several hours; in the evening departure times change and connections at Gobowen station are difficult to achieve

The Smithfield development in Oswestry will generate money to extend bus services from the town centre (apparently up to £1.3M is available) - will this include evenings and Sundays?

In Oswestry there is a need for seats at the Sainsburys bus stop for people waiting for services 70 and 576, as many people board there because it is more convenient for the town centre

Route 53. New timetables not yet available for passengers who have difficulty remembering itThe timetable cases in St Martins on Arriva service 53 have been out of date for some time

The Arriva website is showing out of date timetables for some services in Shropshire

Some operators such as Stagecoach offer concessions for people over 60 (not in receipt of National Concessionary Pass), so why doesn't Arriva?

Shropshire Councillor Peter Adams He was present at the meeting and made the following points. Most services in the area are commercial, but

most inter-urban routes in Shropshire are subsidised

He uses Arriva service 1 in Shrewsbury and finds that not all the Sunday buses turn up, which reduces passenger usage

The Council's Bus Strategy expires in 2016 and consultation on a new one will start in 2015

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Driverless buses could soon be on UK roads Driverless buses could soon be introduced in the UK, with one major operator already expressing an interest in the technology. Transport minister Claire Perry said such buses could transform rural transport by reducing costs associated with the driver. This could result in "better and more frequent services", Ms Perry told the Driverless Vehicles Conference in Thatcham. She added that driverless buses could be trialled once any "regulatory issues" have been resolved.

implement them, hopefully in the next few months Service 404: When servicing and breakdowns arise it is sometimes necessary to allocate a double deck vehicle, which is fully DDA compliant and meets the needs of the service. Response from Tanat Valley Coaches They are talking to parish councils regarding new shelters in Llanymynech and stops elsewhere, and they have been promised a new shelter in Treflach.

The timetables for service 79/79A and other services through Trefonen are set by Powys County Council who subsidise the services, and the company is unable to change them. Main points raised by members of the public Concern about Nesscliffe losing alternate

journeys on Arriva service 70, including journey used by residents going to work in Shrewsbury

Passengers waiting at the bus stop in Nesscliffe for Arriva service 70 cannot be seen by bus drivers due to overgrown hedge

Drivers on Arriva service 70 have told passengers that they will not be able to get on the X70 at Great Ness junction despite it being on the timetable

Concern about lack of stops on Welshpool Road in Shrewsbury on X70 route, and request that they be reinstated

Suggestion that X70 should be made faster by omitting Whittington, which also has Tanat Valley service 449

Request for Sunday service on Arriva 70 as experience from Herefordshire shows that average spend per passenger going into town by bus is £38

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NEWS & PHOTOS (continued)

not ideal, arriving in Shrewsbury at 0825 (too early for work) and leaving at 1740 (giving a long wait after finishing work). There is also the suggestion that an express service is needed at peak times which does not divert off the main road. Following complaints in September last year Shropshire Council met with Arriva to discuss service 436. Apparently Arriva were aware of problems with the service and a new timetable was being reviewed at that time in order to try and run more efficiently and on time. They also trialled a slightly larger vehicle on the route to give more capacity for passengers, but it proved too difficult for the reversing manoeuvre in Much Wenlock. Their suggestion to replace the Queen Street bus stop with new stops on Shrewsbury Road (adjacent to the Gaskell Arms), which would also improve reliability, proved unacceptable to Shropshire Council. According to passengers, Arriva has said that all of their timings along this route are suffering from long delays and this is due to heavy traffic and a high volume of passengers using this service. With a new term of college and school children using this service last autumn it has been reaching maximum capacity only half way through the journey. Passengers who are unhappy with the quality of service have been advised to contact Shropshire Council, as Arriva are not responsible for altering the timings or putting another bus onto the route. Meanwhile, buses continue to be late. It would seem clear that the 436 service is currently running a timetable that cannot be kept to. It also seems clear that during term time and peak hours there is not enough capacity on the bus. Although Shropshire Council are responsible for adjusting the timings of the route, Arriva carries a responsibility to take these issues up with the Council. It seems that communication between Arriva and the Council is poor across the board as passenger information on websites and Traveline can be conflicting during periods of change. Bridgnorth is a major town in the region without a rail link; it is simply not acceptable that the bus service should be so unreliable. ___________________________________________

Bridgnorth to Shrewsbury service Is Arriva’s route 436 from Bridgnorth to Shrewsbury the worst service in Shrophire? That is the opinion of some of its existing passengers, and one who no longer uses it. The problems, which have been around for some time, hinge on unreliability, breakdowns and overcrowding on some journeys. All the passengers want is a link between the towns that enables them to get to work and students to get to college on time at least most of the time. That does not seem a lot to expect from a bus service. Passengers have complained in the past and have received standard busy traffic reasons for the poor service, and even denial that there is a problem. Speaking with people who travel on the bus, this seems to be a long running on-going issue. One passenger uses the bus sometimes and more often than not experiences problems, as a result of which he only uses it when he has no choice. He would like to use the bus more regularly but needs better reliability. It seems the major problem is that there is insufficient time on the timetable to allow the bus to make its journey. if there were an extra 10 or 15 minutes slack at each end then the bus could keep to time.

There is the ongoing issue where at peak times during term time there is not sufficient room on the bus and people are left standing at stops. This problem has got worse since Shropshire Council withdrew the extra bus they used to provide for students during term time. Some passengers feel the timings of the morning and evening buses are

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including day trips, private charter and holiday tours, and significant operations on contract to National Express. The Company employed over 50 full time staff plus a number of part time and casual employees, and operated 35 buses and coaches from its base in Kidderminster. EYMS Chairman, Peter Shipp, said “despite big efforts over the last few years it has not been possible to reduce the losses and after a great deal of soul searching we have decided that we have no option but to try and sell the business. Whilst it has not worked for us, it could well be that for one or more other operators perhaps based in the area, there could be some synergies which would make the operation worthwhile and we are contacting anyone we think might be interested in buying all or part of the business.” However, with no buyer for the bus part of the operation, all registered services are being cancelled with effect from 5 January 2015. As well as routes around its base in Kidderminster, two routes serve the Bridgnorth area of Shropshire, namely the 125 route from Bridgnorth to Stourbridge, via Chelmarsh, Kineton, Highley, Bewdley and Kidderminster, and route 101, which is a circular route covering most areas of Bridgnorth. Route 101, which is subsidised by Shropshire Council, was taken over by Arriva from 17 November with no change to the timetable. Route 125 is subsidised jointly by Shropshire and Worcestershire Councils, and also serves Dudley Council.

Worcestershire Council has arranged for route 125

End of the road for Whittles bus company Whittle Coach and Bus was put up for sale by its owners, the family-owned bus and coach company EYMS Group based in Hull, following several years of operating losses. EYMS Chairman, Peter Shipp, said that he was extremely disappointed at having to take this decision, the Group having bought the Company from the owner Ron Whittle in 2004 with every intention of growing and developing it for the long term.

“However, competition in both the bus and local coach market has eroded the Whittles’ financial situation and this has not been helped by factors outside the Company’s control. In 2012, the Government’s 20% cut in Bus Operators’ Fuel Duty Subsidy, which had been in place since the 1960s, and pressures on local authority budgets which have reduced concessionary travel reimbursement to bus operators and the money available for local authorities to support unprofitable services, have all added to the problems.” EYMS Group, whose main and much larger subsidiary East Yorkshire Motor Services based in Hull, has, like every other bus operator, been hit by the same financial cuts and says it can no longer afford to support its loss-making Whittles subsidiary. It was hoped that a buyer could be found for the business, as EYMS said its absolute priority was to try and save jobs, and efforts to contact possible interested parties were made. Whittles had an annual turnover of almost £4m, split between local bus services, coach operations,

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to be taken over by Central Buses from 5 January, subsidised only by Shropshire Council with the Worcestershire section operated commercially. Although Central Buses is based in Perry Barr in Birmingham, they will have an outstation in the Kidderminster area for two buses with the third coming from Perry Barr to enable the vehicles to be rotated for maintenance. The coaching part of the Whittle business, comprising nine coaches, has been sold to Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel of Henley-in-Arden. The agreement secures the employment of relevant office, maintenance and driving employees and Johnsons will continue to operate the company from the Kidderminster site at Foley Park, under the Whittle brand. Peter Shipp, owner of Yorkshire-based EYMS Group is “delighted to have completed this sale speedily to protect the current loyal and committed workforce.” Johnsons Coach Travel Commercial Director John Johnson says: “We are pleased to see the joining of two well-known, long established coach travel families and look to welcoming the Whittles team and their customers to the Johnsons brand. We look forward to continuing the Whittles brand for coach hire, holidays and day excursions.” Whittle's operations on contract to National Express are to be taken on by National Express West Midlands from 11 January. ___________________________________________

Ludlow to Leominster bus service Readers in the Ludlow area will know that their frequent cross border service to Leominster and Hereford was axed last summer and replaced with a skeleton service just twice a day Monday to Friday at student travelling time (route 490).

After Shropshire Council refused to intervene to augment Herefordshire County Council’s funding, Bus Users Shropshire contacted I&S coaches of Hereford to see if they would operate a service from Tenbury to Ludlow via Orleton on schooldays. They undertook a test run in the autumn, but since then their Tenbury school contract has altered, and their

offer is no longer on the table.

BUS then approached the Arriva depot manager and Ludlow councillor Viv Parry. We thought that an Arriva bus which operates the 738/740 Ludlow to Knighton service could fill the gap. This made sense as it sits in Ludlow for three hours between trips every weekday morning and might make one return journey from Ludlow to Orleton to connect with the much more frequent Leominster to Orleton service. This would provide additional options for people wishing to spend time in Ludlow. Unfortunately, even though the vehicle is free the Shrewsbury based driver isn't; he or she is at the limit of driving hours allowed by law. The bus sits there for just under an hour every afternoon too. So, a link to Orleton has proven to be difficult. However, it begs the question as to why Shropshire Council commissioned Arriva to operate the Knighton service in the first place. There is seemingly only one option remaining. It would be feasible for the Minsterley Motors Monday and Friday service from Bishop's Castle to Ludlow to extend to Orleton, but this would also require some financial support. The bottom line is that Shropshire Council is so busy in its endeavour to cut back public services (and presumably to reduce staff even more) to meet budget cuts, that finding local solutions to encourage access to one of its major market towns is way down its list of things to do. We are disappointed - but at least we tried! ___________________________________________

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Shrewsbury Business Park loses bus service Some years ago the Shrewsbury Business Park was developed on the outskirts of the town adjacent to London Road but with vehicle access from Thieves Lane. At the time the only way of getting to the area by bus was from an infrequent service along London Road, which did not run early enough for workers. Inevitably the business park became a car only destination with a shortage of parking spaces as it grew. After many years of pressure for a convenient bus service into the business park, Arriva agreed to extend their route 8 (Sutton Farm to Bus Station) into the site with funding from Shropshire Council. The extension started in November 2012 after the Council was awarded £84,000 from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) to run it on a trial basis. It provided buses every 15 minutes from 0700 to 1900 giving a service for both workers and visitors to the business park. Now the Council has withdrawn the funding, having spent only £50,000 of the £84,000 awarded, resulting in the service being withdrawn at the end of 2014. Defending their decision the Council said that the service is too costly for them to continue to run coupled with the low usage figures. Arriva has said that the extension beyond the Sutton Farm area was contracted for a two-year pilot period only, and passenger numbers cannot sustain a commercial operation. It seems very short sighted to withdraw the service now as phase 2 of the business park is under way, doubling the amount of office space. This will give a significant increase in potential bus passengers and the second access from Wenlock Road will allow a more efficient routeing. If the Council had been willing to spend the rest of the money allocated it would have given time for the service to grow with the influx of additional workers, and the potential to become commercial by the end of the funding stream. Another lost opportunity for sustainable travel. __________________________________________

Shrewsbury’s Sunday buses under threat In July 2011 Sunday bus services in Shrewsbury and on the radial routes to the market towns were all withdrawn due to budget cuts by Shropshire Council. These and other widespread cuts in bus services led to the formation of Bus Users Shropshire. One of our early aims was the restoration of these Sunday services and, after much campaigning and effort from our members, we persuaded the Council to introduce a network of six routes in Shrewsbury. They were introduced in June 2013 and provide frequencies of 30 or 60 minutes during the day. The Council only provided funding for these services for two years, so unless we can persuade them to put in more funding (or Arriva to take them on commercially which seems unlikely), Sunday services in Shrewsbury will disappear in June. After all the effort to get them introduced the last thing BUS wants is to see them withdrawn, and neither do the passengers who use them. Bus passengers are a major income stream for town centre shops (a study some time ago for the Confederation of Passenger Transport estimated it at £19.90 per shopping trip), so the businesses should not want to lose them either. Now is the time when all members of BUS, and all bus passengers in Shrewsbury, should be using them as much as possible to prove to the Council that they need to continue. More than that we all need to tell Shropshire Council the importance of the Sunday services and urge them to fund their continuation. Clearly the Council recognises the importance of getting people into Shrewsbury town centre on Sundays as they will be drastically reducing car park charges from 18 January to attract more shoppers, diners and visitors.

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Find out where your bus is Have you ever waited at a bus stop and wondered where your bus is or how long it will be? If you lived in Shrewsbury some years ago you might remember the Shropshire Council real time information system at bus stops, where displays showed how long before the next Arriva bus (and the following ones) would arrive. The system worked by tracking the buses through GPS and using timetables and computer processing to predict the time taken to reach the bus stop. Unfortunately, a dispute between Shropshire Council and Arriva resulted in the system being abandoned (although the displays are still in place). Now Arriva has introduced Livemap which shows where every one of their buses at any time - not just in Shropshire but throughout Britain. So if you are waiting at a bus stop for an Arriva service and have a smart phone you can see exactly where your bus is on a map, which gives a good idea of how long you will have to wait. This facility is provided on their website so you can also access the information from home or work using a computer, laptop or tablet. It consists of a map of northern Europe with a search box where you can enter the name of the bus stop (or road or area). This takes you to the relevant part of the map where you can zoom in and out as necessary. All bus stops are shown together with all roads and main places of interest. You see buses moving along the route in real time, and if you put cursor over the bus it shows the scheduled departure time from the starting point to identify the bus. There is also a box called ‘show bus names’ which when switched on shows service numbers for each bus (or colour for Shrewsbury Park & Ride). The facility seems to work with a good degree of accuracy, although occasionally buses appear to jump forwards or backwards. Most importantly it gives you accurate, real time information about your bus service, provided that bus service is operated by Arriva. Log on to Livemap-Arriva or www.arriva.co.uk/journeyplanner/help/en?tpl=livemap& __________________________________________

Draft Mid Wales Joint Local Transport Plan 2015-2020 The three Mid Wales Local Authorities, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Powys, have published the draft Mid Wales Local Transport Plan. The Plan sets out the region’s intended outcomes and higher level interventions for transport in Mid Wales. Public consultation was invited, with a deadline of 5 January, and BUS has taken the opportunity to make the following comments. 1. Whilst the LTP relates principally to capital

expenditure the document rightly points to the need to address the matter of reduced revenue support for local bus services in Mid-Wales. This is vital to meet the aims of the Welsh government to encourage sustainable economic growth and tackling poverty.

2. The cross border bus network is important in terms of getting people to their nearest education/retail and service centre. We therefore welcome the proposal to improve roadside infrastructure on the X75 route and would ask that consideration is also given to the X71 route.

3. The importance of cross border tourism travel needs to be emphasised more; there is a lack of vision in how the tourist market can be encouraged to use public transport rather than private transport to enjoy mid-Wales. There is, for example, no mention of Visitor Transport Plan in Powys or the work of Walking with Offa both of which set out options for encouraging better use of buses and trains in Mid Wales.

4. There is no indication of the cost of the outcomes proposed but our guess is that there will be a major imbalance between the level spent on highway improvements vis a vis expenditure of encouraging modal switch or maintenance of the network for those who rely on public transport.

5. We welcome the smart travel, healthy living proposals as a progressive step towards access and well being; use of public transport fits well with this. In the context of railway stations integration between bus, bike and walking and train needs to be more manifest; the implication is that most spending will go on increasing car park provision.

NEWS & PHOTOS (continued)

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Hay Ho! Ludlow member, Les Lumsdon, is currently working with the Hay Tourism Group and Rail for Herefordshire in managing the Sunday only Hay Ho! 39A bus between Hereford and Hay-on-Wye. This includes marketing the bus and financing it on days when it does not break even. There are currently three trips per day at 1010, 1310 and 1610 from Hereford.

The Hay Ho! bus replaces a Sunday Hereford to Brecon via Hay bus axed by Herefordshire and Powys councils in September 2014. Comments Les: “ There was uproar when this strategic link was cut. Rail for Herefordshire undertook surveys and found that there was strong demand between Hay and Hereford. The new bus service strated on October 5th and is designed to meet trains at Hereford Railway Station (Bus Stand 2 outside the forecourt). There's a day rover ticket priced £7.50 (families £15.00). English and Welsh concessionary bus passes are accepted for cross border travel as Hay is just in Wales! The numbers using the service have been very encouraging and adds weight to the argument that Sunday buses are important to rural economies.” Those wishing to become a supporter of Hay Ho! can do so by contacting Anna Heywood of the Hay Tourism Group by e mail at bus39a@gmail.com or by looking at the Hay Ho! facebook page. __________________________________________

Community transport gets £25m funding Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin says £25 million will be made available to community groups across the country. The scheme aims to support voluntary organisations that provide services for local people in rural communities with limited access to transport. Organisations that already provide a service to the local community can bid for a minibus, with those that help out in rural areas favoured by the scheme. McLoughlin said: "As a rural MP I know how important community bus providers are and how much they matter. These groups help keep rural communities alive and independent. We want to do all we can to support local voluntary operators who help out in these areas. This large amount of money is to help those who already do so much to support their community."

Bill Freeman, chief executive of Community Transport Association, explained: “This is good news for community transport. Our own research shows that many organisations, particularly smaller ones serving their immediate neighbourhoods, struggle to put aside money to replace vehicles. This will enable them to continue to improve the lives of many vulnerable and isolated people by offering them accessible and affordable transport.” ___________________________________________

NEWS & PHOTOS (continued)

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First Bus wins wheelchair court judgement Bus companies are not required by law to force parents with buggies to make way for wheelchair users in designated bays on vehicles, senior judges ruled. First Bus appealed against a court ruling, won by a disabled man from West Yorkshire, that the firm's wheelchair policy was discriminatory. He was denied access to a First bus to Leeds when a woman with a pushchair refused to move. The Court of Appeal overturned a Leeds County Court judgement in his favour.

The man had attempted to board the bus in Wetherby to visit his parents in Leeds, in February 2012. But, he was told to wait for another one when the woman with the pushchair refused to move because her baby was asleep. First's policy was one of "requesting but not requiring" non-disabled travellers, including those with babies and pushchairs, to vacate space needed by a wheelchair user. In September, the county court judge had said the firm's policy was in breach of the Equality Act 2010, and the man was awarded £5,500 damages. But judges at the Court of Appeal ruled the "proper remedy" for wheelchair users to get improvements in such cases was to ask parliament. Lord Justice Lewison said: "The judge seems to me to have thought that the needs of wheelchair users trumped all other considerations. "If that is what he meant, I respectfully disagree." Lord Justice Underhill said: "It has to be accepted

that our conclusion and reasoning in this case means that wheelchair users will occasionally be prevented by other passengers from using the wheelchair space on the bus. I do not, however, believe that the fact that some passengers will - albeit rarely - act selfishly and irresponsibly is a sufficient reason for imposing on bus companies a legal responsibility for a situation which is not of their making and which they are not in a position to prevent." ___________________________________________

UK's first 'bio-bus' hits the road Britain’s first ‘bio-bus’ has taken to the road, powered entirely by human and food waste. The 40-seat bus runs on biomethane gas, generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste. It can travel up to 186 miles on one tank of gas, which takes the annual waste of around five people to produce. The bus is run by Bath Bus Company and will transport passengers on its rapidly growing A4 service between Bath and Bristol Airport.

The gas is generated at Bristol sewage treatment works, run by GENeco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water. Mohammed Saddiq, general manager of GENeco, said: “Gas-powered vehicles have an important role to play in improving air quality in UK cities, but the Bio-Bus goes further than that and is actually powered by people living in the local area, including quite possibly those on the bus itself.” Collin Field, engineering director at Bath Bus Company, said: “Up to 10,000 passengers are expected to travel on the A4 service in a month, which is available not only for airport travel, but also local journeys along the route through Saltford, Keynsham, Brislington, Knowle and Hengrove.

NEWS & PHOTOS (continued)

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What is BUS?

Bus Users Shropshire is an action group of volunteers formed in 2011 as a response to big cuts in bus services. We are part of Bus Users UK. We don’t support any political party but we do want politicians locally and nationally to take an interest in buses. We are governed by a constitution and managed by an elected committee who implement our plans and report to meetings of all members where we share ideas and news.

Our vision is for a well publicised comprehensive network of well used bus services that are reliable, affordable, convenient, safe and friendly. Buses should be quiet, clean, comfortable, and non-polluting. Information about bus services should be easy to understand with ‘live’ departure boards that display actual departure times. We want Bus Users Shropshire: to be a strong and influential voice for bus users in Shropshire; to be representative of bus users across the whole of Shropshire; to achieve a constructive relationship with bus companies, local government and other

interested groups.

We campaign for improvements to services and proper funding and development We talk regularly to Shropshire Council who recognise us as a representative body of bus

passengers We give feedback and ideas for improvement to bus operators as a ‘critical friend’

Bus services are still under threat. If you are not already part of BUS share your experiences as a bus user with us. A big membership also gives influence. Become a Supporter. This costs you nothing. Become a Member. Have your say. Get active! Modest subscription payable.

Bus Users Shropshire, c/o Shrewsbury Coffeehouse, 5 Castle Gates, Shrewsbury SY1 2AE Email: bususersshropshire@hotmail.co.uk Telephone/text: 07580 564458 Website: www.bususers.org/your-local-group/bus-users-shropshire

Aims of BUS

What BUS does

What you can do

Contact details

Links

Shropshire Public Transport News: http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/traveltransport.nsf/open/55E9DBAC31C79329802573C400554A54

Campaign for Better Transport http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/

http://thebuspeople.co.uk/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75F3CSZcCFs&feature=youtu.be